Caracal Academy
by Shesh
Summary: Max's life is thrown into turmoil when her mother decides to move into the country, dragging Max along with her. So, when she's sent to a private boarding school oriented around animals and farm life, she immediately expects the worst. FAX, AU / AH. Please read, criticism excepted and appreciated ! One of my first fanfics so please read ! T for tigers. Roar.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE, NOR DO I CLAIM TO.**

**Max's life is thrown into turmoil when her mother decides to move into the country, dragging Max along with her. So, when she's sent to a private boarding school oriented around animals and farm life, she immediately expects the worst. FAX, AU / AH. Please read, criticism excepted and enjoyed! **

"Come on, Max ! Please ! Please ! _Please_?!" I roll my eyes, sighing in annoyance and pulling my hair back behind my ears, feeling hot under the baking sun as it shines through the car windows. I lean my head back, glaring at the roof of my mum's battered old pick-up. "I _know_ you'll love it there! And besides, you've got to go now. I've payed !" She adds, smiling hopefully in my direction. "Whatever, mum. I just don't get the point, I mean, we moved here so we could spend more time together, and then you send me off to some frickin' boarding school." I complain, turning so I can see her better. My mother glances over, her dark brown eyes inquisitive and curious, strait brown hair hanging by her shoulders. "Because it's _illegal _if you don't! You have to go to a school if your under eighteen, or something, and since there's no public schools around here this one will have to do. Besides; since we'll be living on a farm from now on, this could do you some good ! You can learn how to help out, and then in the holidays you can come home and help me around the farm. Please, Maxi. This'll be really good for us!" She was the only one I let allowed to call me anything other than Max, and I can't help but smile at her pleading tone of voice. "Okay, mum. I guess... it does sound kind of cool. Better than any normal school." I admit, giving in. I can never really hold a grudge against my mum; she always tries so hard to sustain us both, and I can see that this is the big break she's needed. I guess I should explain.

My name's Max, short for Maximum. Maximum Ride. My single mother and I lived in one of Arizona's small towns for a while, with the both of us attempting to survive without much money; eventually, she was rewarded when the small veterinary practice she worked at decided to move to Arkansas. They payed for the entire move, and the farm we're now living on. It's a shame I had to go to school already; I never really had much of a chance to explore the farm, but Valencia (My mother) Thinks it would be best if I joined the start of the year with everyone else, and I can't help but agree. The School had a surprisingly cheap tuition, but there were very limited places; probably because it's more of a summer camp than a high school, and there won't actually be that many cabins, according to mum. "Yes! I knew you'd give in eventually. Trust me, Max, you'll really enjoy it. You have your own lodge and..." Sighing, I avert my gaze from her, turning to look out of the window. Acres of bright green fields rush past as the old car trundles down the dirt road, clouds of fine gold grains clouding the air.

I unplug the head-phones from my ears soon enough to hear the sound of the car's wheels crunching on the gravel as we pull to a stop in the pebble-dash drop off point. A car park for the students is situated right next to us, decorated in a similar way. We had just passed through a huge wooden archway that led into campus, a sign perched above it rimmed with silver, reading _Caracal Academy_.

Above the bleach white lettering, a black silhouette of some sort of wildcat stands guard over the campus. Kind of cool, really. Past the white gravel, a large farm-house of sorts is surrounded by a small white picket fence, probably used for inside writing classes of some sort. Apart from that, all I could see was a huge area of grass; two large buildings are seen on either side of the farm house, both made of log's and wood but formed perfectly like holiday lodges; they we're separated to about eight on either side, in a horizontal row. Both to the right and left of the cabins we're horse fields and some sort of sand school; from here, I could see several people riding horses. A large green tractor charges past, a small blonde boy struggling to keep the control of the wheel as an auburn-haired teacher / counsellor helps him steer. Clambering from the car, I shut the door and take a look around again, breathing in the thick country air. The scent of manure mixed with something much more appetising; bacon, perhaps..? Maybe they do cooking classes here, too. "Come, on, Max." My mother calls, walking towards a small cabin next to the farm house which I missed earlier. It looks like both sides of the farm house are mirrored; there's a stable behind either of the horse fields, a dirt path and then a cliché red barn. Valencia pushes the cabin door open to reveal a small room; a desk is situated at the back, followed by two cabinets; one titled Red, the other Blue. "How can I help you?" the woman at the desk asks politely, giving me a cheery smile that makes me want to puke. I took her appearance in; thick, reddish-bronze hair and dark green eyes. Grimacing, I force a brief smile, allowing my mother to do the talking. "I'm Valencia Martinez, and this is Max... a new student?" she informed the woman, but it sounded more of a question to me. "Ah, yes ! Maxine, nice to meet you. I'm Bridgid, and I'll be working at the question desk for this term, so if you ever have anything to ask come strait to me !" I huff lightly, twitching in annoyance, "It's _just _Max," I grumble, but she's either deaf or really ignorant. "So, how about I take you on a tour of your campus and explain how things work around here?" She says cheerfully, her eyes bright with anticipation. You'd think she'd get bored of this kind of thing, since she has to do it for every student who comes and goes. "Uh, I'm good, thanks," I say sheepishly, turning to leave whilst my mother quickly fills out some kind of form or something. "Oh, no, I insist ! Say good-bye to your mother, and we'll head off," Sighing, I nod and turn to my mother. She finishes signing the sheet and looks at me, a sad look on her face. "I have to go now, Max. I'll see you soon, kay? Make sure to text me every day!" I nod, grinning at her pouty face. "Don't look so sad, Mum. I'm not being shipped off to Atlanta," I joke, hugging her lightly before she turns to leave. I poke my head out of the cabin door, watching her walk quickly to the car and hop into the drivers side, as though postponing her leave would make her change her mind.

Once she was gone, Bridgid motioned for me to follow her and started along the sandy dirt path that led around the side of the farm house and then strait down, towards the cabins. "So, that's the farm-house, where most of your written lessons and ethics will be done." She explains, motioning as we pass. "From here, the campus splits into two halves; Red, and Blue. It basically divides the classes in half; four cabins from Blue side have class together, and the other four have separate classes for younger pupils. It's the same on both sides. You'll be staying in Blue, cabin..." she glances down at a wooden clip-board pressed tightly against her bright red leather jacket, pulling it closer in order to read the writing. "Cabin 14, right near the back." She reports, her voice stupidly cheerful. "Any group work during class will be done with the rest of the members in your cabin, who will ever be there already or on there way soon." She grins, glancing to the left as we pass the horse field. "This'll be the place where you keep your horse, once your assigned it in Riding Class. Every student has their very own horse – Isn't that exciting !" she squeals stupidly and I roll my eyes, but I can't help but show a little interest. I glance out at the field, where several horses stood grazing, their huge heads bowed as they tore at the bright green sprigs.

The campus seemed alight with activity; the same paint-green tractor came roaring as the wide dirt lane, the small blonde kind having given the teacher a shove before taking full control of the vehicle. It was going at surprising speeds, a tall strawberry-blond kid of around my age hanging over the little blonde boys shoulder, laughing as he watched the road head. As the heavy vehicle thundered past, drowning out Bridgid's annoyingly high pitched voice, I noticed something on the back; a ark haired boy sat on the back, holding lightly onto the rusting silver rails on either side of him. One of his leg was bent at the knee, whilst the other hung strait of the edge, his obsidian black eyes smoking unemotionally as he watched the road slipping away. His jet black clothes waved dauntingly in the breeze, a heavy black raven perched cautiously on the edge of his shoulder. His eyes drifted upwards to mine, inquisitive and narrowed slightly.

Pulling away from his gaze, I glance around suspiciously, looking at anything other than the tractor that had begun to recede down the road. "...and here's the school, where riding lessons will take place, and the stables where the horses are kept in the winter," Bridgid continues, grasping my wrist and pulling me along. My mind was occupied other where, for awhile though. Those guys looked... cool, I guess. And the dark guy on the tractor roof; he was interesting. I didn't really get a good look at him, but you know, first impressions and such.

Bridgid and I passed the red barn, which apparently held sheep and other small cattle. There was a field next to that, too, where the sheep graze. Behind that was yet another dirt lane leading towards the left, where there was an exercise field for domesticated animal training and an inside ring for the same reasons. It seams this place is basically oriented _around_ animals; it seems like some pet obsessed kids dream.

Eventually Bridgid and I arrived at the cabins. We had the second to last one, right up on the far side of campus before the grass-land melted off into forest, where people often hacked out on their horses. "I'll see you later, and if you ever need any help, don't be afraid to ask ! Once you enter your cabin, you'll find your time-table for the week and any extra information you need. See you some other time!" I nod, rolling my eyes and turning away from the over excited woman thing. Parading up to the cabin, I grimace, pushing the door open with a thud. Once I saw what was _behind_ the door, I froze, eyes wide with shock. "Welcome home, honey,"

**So, Hi ! **

**Thanks for reading the first chapter of my fanfic, please, please, ****_please _****review my story so that I know whether or not it's worth continuing, criticism is excepted and considered ! If there's anything you want me to add to the story please feel free to let me know, I'd really appreciate the help ! I'm not gonna say I want a certain amount of reviews before I update, but I'd really like it if you review / favourite / follow ect. **

**Thanks, **

**Shesh. **


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

**DISCLAIMER: ME NO JAMES PATTERSON. **

**A/N: Hi again!  
Thanks all the people who followed my story, I really appreciate it, and you guys who review and favourite too. I would really like it if you reviewed as well though, because **

**then I know what you think of the story and what I should change! **

I let my head roll back with a groan, slamming the door shut and whispering a prayer. A dark haired boy sat on a desk chair in the main lobby of the log cabin, bent over a laptop sat on a light gold computer desk. His dark eyes glimmer with concentration, narrowed slightly as they scan the screen. It was though the words had never left his mouth; as though he didn't even see me enter the room, although it was clear he had been the speaker, since the cabin was deathly silent except for the quiet buzzing of the laptop's engine. After a second, he hit a button on the key board and spun the chair gently around, raising an eyebrow when he saw my lack of movement. From a closer view, his features we're better drawn out; dark, glittering eyes and jet black hair covering one said of his face and hanging around his collar bone. His skin was toned naturally, and from his clear appearance it wasn't hard to recognise him from before; he was the guy on the back of the tractor. He must of jumped off when he reached the cabin or something. Noticing my stare, his mouth pulls into a wolfish smirk, leaning back triumphantly. Scowling, I glance away. "Max," I say, holding out my hand. There was a pause, before he took it, nodding in acceptance. "Fang," his voice was cool and calm, almost calculating but in a slightly comforting way. "Nice name. You parents on drugs?" I ask, attempting to make conversation. "Yes." he replies, completely serious. My voice catches slightly, and all of a sudden everything seems pretty damn awkward. "I, uh Ah-" Sniggering, he puts hand out, motioning for me to stop. "Chill it. I was kidding." He smirks, turning back to the laptop. Rolling my eyes, I punch his shoulder lightly before passing around the back of the chair, inspecting the rest of the room. A plain brown couch sits against the right wall, with an average quality television set sits on a platform in front of it. Several gaming consoles we're already set up beneath it, ready for use. "Hey, are these yours or are they for anyone?" I ask, skimming my hands across the white xbox-360 console. "No, they're ours. So feel free to play. The games are in the cabinet." He waves a hand behind him, motioning towards a mahogany cabinet placed above the couch on the wall. Opening it, I take a look at the games inside; Grand Theft Auto V, Assassins Creed, Mindcraft, The Walking Dead and Farming Simulator. Figures. My eyes take in the games, smiling greedily and reaching out to touch the un opened cover of GTA V. I've wanted to play this game since it came out... Which, was like, yesterday. "Get your greedy fingers off of that," Fang growls playfully, without turning around. "That's _mine_," Huffing, I shut the cabinet turning around. You'd think these people would encourage you to go outdoors, instead of practically forcing you to stay in gaming all day. Shrugging, I follow a quick impulse and scruff up Fang's hair as I pass. He scoffs, snarling and re-arrange his thick black locks. "Down, doggy." I say sarcastically, glancing around. There were what looked like lockers against the wall next to the couch; big, silver lockers. Four of them. On each one was a schedule, all exactly the same, so I can't exactly see the point, but oh well. Walking over, I find the one with my name and flip over the paper, checking the back. It was clear, so I turn back to the front and glance at my time-table for the term. On there we're several things, some of which I had no idea what they we're; it seemed like things we're pretty much randomised, and changed every week. Since it's Sunday today, we have no lessons until tomorrow, thank-fully, although they don't look too bad. Deciding to explore the cabin, I exit the room into a small hallway; from there on there we're two doors; one with _Girls_ written in silver lettering, the other with _Boys_. Pushing the door open, I take a glance inside; there was a bunk-bed against the left side wall, and another door to the right; the walls are a plain white, rimmed with brown at the base and with black wooden floors. A wardrobe against the other wall is pushed up next to the door, but I doubt I'll be needing that; I'll just store all my stuff in my backpack. Yes, backpack; it was all I needed to carry my clothes for the term, since there's a on-site store here anyway. Swinging my back-pack onto the top-bunk, claiming it as mine, I push open the other door. There was simple bath room, with a shower, a toilet and a sink. Shutting the door, I exit the room and head back into the lounge.

Leaning over Fang's shoulder, I try to see what it was exactly that he was writing. Lifting his shoulders, he hides the screen from view. "Faaaang," I complain, but he ignores me. Huffing in mock annoyance, I flop backwards onto the back of the sofa, hanging up-side down. "This your first year?" I ask, reaching for the controller and flicking on the television. "Nope," he says coolly, the click of his keyboard interfering with the sounds of the TV. Frowning, I turn it up some, changing the channel until I find something satisfying. "You?" he asks after a pause, his voice calm as he click, click, click's away on his laptop. "Yeah," I respond, mimicking his voice. "Don't talk much, do you?" Changing the channel again, I settle for E4 and smirk as one of the best programmes on air comes on. That's more like it. "It's a bad habit," He replies, ending the conversation as he stands. Glancing up, I watch as he turns off the laptop, glancing at me over his shoulder. "I'm gonna go shower. Do what you like, just..." He sighs, "Don't... Break anything, kay?" I smirk, winking at his disappearing form. "Don't count on it,"

After around ten minutes of watching the programme, I grow bored of the repeat and turn off the TV set. Walking over to the lockers, I put in the combination – which was on the piece of paper, so I don't really see the point in that but whatever – and swung the metal door open with a dramatic clash. "Max, I hope that wasn't my laptop!" Fang's voice travels roughly from the shower, causing me to smirk. "Again... No promises!" Chuckling gleefully, I find several text-books and jotters, along with four empty schedules that I assume will be used in some type of class. Putting my time-table in there, I shut the door and glance at the other lockers; also on the top was Fang's, exactly the same as mine with an identical time-table. Great, classes with Emo-boy. Not that he's that bad, as far as guys go. Actually, I'd already think of him as a friend, and that's saying something, seeing as though I don't usually trust people, and don't exactly know a thing about him. Underneath our lockers were two more; both identical to the ones above, time-table's and all. These two had different names; one was James, the other Monique. Shrugging, I turn away from the lockers, walking over to the cabinet. I'm pretty sure Fang wouldn't mind if I just _borrowed_ his game. My eyes flash hungrily and I quietly open the cabinet, letting out satisfied purr when not a sound is made. I reach inside, my hands grasping the new game, letting my fingers trail the cover before slowly beginning to pull back the plastic - "_Max!_" Jumping, I shove the game behind my back and smile innocently. "Yes, Fang?" I chime brightly, gritting my teeth. Fang walks into the room, his jet black hair glittering wet and dark eyes gleaming with mischief. He snarls playfully, coming towards me. "What do you have there..?" he asks, smiling devilishly as he continues to advance, leaving me backed up against the wall beneath the cabinet. Gulping, I tuck the game even tighter against my back, eyes wide as he slowly places each hand centimetre's away from my head. "Maxi..." Scowling, I snarl slightly, lifting my head up a little. "No pony calls me Maxi, Fangles." I snap, eyes narrowed. He comes closer, glowering at me, never breaking the glance. "Maxi..." His voice growls quieter, just as mine gets louder. "Fangles..."

"Maxi..."

"Fangles !"

"Maxi..."

"Fangles..."

"Maxi!"

Eventually he snaps, reaching out behind me and grabbing the game case from my hands. "Hey!" I bark, pulling at the case. It was on; a match of tug of war over an xbox game. For a few minutes we pulled and pushed, fighting over the game, before eventually Fang got the upper hand; tugging harder than I had expected, he pulls the game from my grasp, sending us both flying onto the sofa. Laughing, I punch his shoulder lightly and give up on the game, allowing him to take it. "You, stay away." he orders, putting it back in the cabinet. "Sorry, Fangles. I just couldn't resist. It's the hands... They're possessed!" I wail, holding my hands out to show him. He grunts, rolling his eyes and shoving me away teasingly. He pushes me off, standing and heading towards his desk. Next to it was a small mini-fridge, which he opens. "Soda?" He asks, diving into the fridge. "Hit me," I reply sarcastically. Snorting, he pulls a Tango out and chucks it towards me. Grabbing the can, I sit back down and drink some, sighing in satisfaction. Fang comes to sit beside me, lying back. "So, do you know Monique and James?" I ask, glancing over at the mystery lockers. Fang follows my gaze and lets out a groan, throwing back his head. "We're paired with _them_?" He complains, but from the tiny smile on his face I can tell he knows them well, despite his regret-full tone. "I take it that you know them?" I suggest, turning slightly to face him. "You got it," He sighs, closing his eyes as if to sleep. "What _are _you doing?" I laugh, creasing my brow. "Enjoying freedom whilst it lasts," he explains, huffing in annoyance. Cocking my head in confusion he opens his eyes slightly, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "You'll see, soon enough," Just as he finished, the door swung open and a tall, straw-berry blonde haired boy of around our age comes charging in, smacking strait into Fang's desk and blinking a pair of incredibly pale blue eyes. "Fangles, long time, little talk!"

Fang looks up, eyes narrowed. "Iggy, you saw me five minutes ago, you douche bag." He snaps, but there was no meaning behind his words. Iggy? I guess that was this guys nickname. "Have the girls arrived yet?" 'Iggy' asks, blinking. I kind of feel ignored; I mean, dude. I'm right here. That's when it hits me; he ran into the table, his eyes are pale blue and his palid white skin sparkles in the sun; he must be a vampire!

"Only Max," Fang replies, pushing me forward. "Don't worry about him. He's an idiot," He whispers bluntly, placing one hand on my waist to guide me. Ignoring the prickling feeling on my side, I shuffle forward, facing the idiotic guy. "Hi, Iggy... I'm Max," I say quickly, holding a hand out. He nods smiling unknowingly. "She wants to shake your hand, Igg." Fang says softly, giving Iggy a sad look. "I knew that," the tall ginger haired boy says, sticking his hand out clumsily and shaking mine. Smiling, I open my mouth to ask him if he was staying here, but I was immediately interrupted as the door swung open behind him. "ZOMG! Max ! We are, like, gonna have _SO _much fun, and-" The two boys groan, Fang pulling me closer to him as though for protection against the approaching motor-mouth. "Nudge..."

**So as you can see not much has happened yet, but I'm just getting around to introducing the characters. The later chapters will probably be longer, especially when we get to the lessons. If there are any questions please contact me in a review, I'd be happy to answer them, and if you'd like to send in a suggestion then feel free! Also, if you want other characters from the series like Ella, Lissa, Dylan or other supporting characters other than the flock (who will all be included) then please, ****_please_**** let me know and I'd be pleased to add them ! If you want a certain scenario, also, I can put that in too, if I think it's appropriate for the path I want the story to follow. So please review, if you want to criticise, praise, flame, question or suggest all are welcome ! Thanks, and expect an update within the next few days, depending on the response I get. Also, do you think Max and Fang get on a little too well already? If you do, let me know.**

**Bye for now !**

**Shesh. **


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE. I WISH I DID :( **

**A/N : Hola ! **

**I have nothing to do today, so I thought hey, why not update again? **

**Yay. Anyway, thanks so much to all the people who review /favourite / follow ! It means a lot :3 Virtual cookies to anyone who did ! And I'm so glad you all liked it ! **

I smile as Nudge laughs, her face bright with excitement as she chats animatedly on the couch. Iggy sits beside her, his bright blue eyes closed in amusement, one arm slung around the girls shoulder. Fang stands beside me, his eyes narrowed with concentration, one eye shielded by a strand of jet back hair as he reads some type of hand-book. It was a couple of hours since Nudges' grand entrance, and since then the four of us had spent a lot of time hanging at the cabin, talking about one thing or another. I learnt, in that time, that Nudge, Iggy and Fang are all close friends; which is unusually, since they're all so different. It had been awhile since I actually recognised what Nudge was saying; frankly, she never shut up. Eventually, Iggy took pity on us, slamming a hand over her mouth non too gently. Giving him a thankful glance, I join the two on the sofa. Fang glances over and I smile sweetly, patting the seat next to me. "Fang, sit down with me!" I exclaim. He raises an eyebrow but complies, plopping down onto the sofa next to me. Iggy lets out a squeak, ripping his hand away from Nudges' mouth and clutching it to his chest. "Nudge!" He exclaims, fake hurt flooding his ice-blue eyes. He turns to us, his face a picture of shock. "She..." he shudders, closing his eyes dramatically, "_licked _me!"

Rolling my eyes, I punch Iggy lightly and turn to Fang, glancing at the book in his hand. "Student handbook," he explains, handing it to me. I begin to flick through, glancing at all the sub-titles; Classes, Food and other school-related subjects. "Why do you need a hand-book if its not your first year?" I ask, putting the book down on the floor. He shrugs, leaning back slightly. "There are new classes this year. And this cabin is too small." Glancing around, I shrug; I guess it is a little small for four people, but there was enough room as far as I'm concerned. "Yeah; Gazzy read it to me earlier," Iggy says from beside me, Having ended his conversation with Nudge. Gazzy must be another one of their friends; maybe the kid that I saw inside the tractor? "I mean, us, four dogs and four cats? How will that work?" I pause, my thought track wavering. No one said _anything_ about dogs... or cats, for that matter. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. Dogs? Cats? What do you mean?" Fang smirks, pushing me down onto the sofa so he can see Iggy. He turns to me, dark eyes glimmering with amusement as a tiny smile spreads onto his face. "This year, we're having our own pets; a dog and a cat each, so that we can see how much work it takes to care for animals as well as doing work around a farm," Iggy explains, his eyes focused a little above mine. I think I can definitely say he's blind. "That seems a little un-realistic for the tuition price," Fang adds, picking the book up again and searching the back pages. I nod in agreement, following their discussion so far. Glancing to my side, I notice Nudge's face; her mocha-coloured face was twisted into a grimace as she tries to hold something in. "Do you want to speak, Nudge?" I ask, smiling warmly. She nods madly, and I wave her hand to tell her to go ahead. She glances at my raised eyebrows, and smiles. "I'm gonna go shower and set my stuff up and that," Nudge says quickly, exiting the room. Turning to Fang, I nod in agreement. "How would we pay for the animals food, anyway?" He shrugs, glancing at Iggy. "Is the mess hall open tonight?" Iggy shakes his head, a lop-sided smile painted on is pale skin. "So _I_ shall be cooking for you tonight, ma'am!" I frown, cocking my head slightly. "No offence, Iggy, but... The blind guy cooks?" He grins wider, nodding his head like an idiot. "Your very observant, Max." He turns to Fang, "I trust you'll be heading to the store for me, high lord Fang?" the dark-haired boy glares, ripping a small scrap of paper from Iggy's hand and grabbing my wrist gently. "Come on, Max. Let's go," The door swings open as Fang pulls me along, and I try my best to ignore the growing heat stretching up my arm, or the cloud of the bright red blush growing on my face. He slows, pulling me so I walked alongside him. "I'll show you to the mess hall, and the shop," he says, smiling at me. I glance up at him, smiling back.

"Whoa, Iggy, this is amazing !" I exclaim, taking another huge mouthful of bacon omelet. Moaning, I chew quickly and swallow, pouting when I see the empty plate on my lap before me. "Iggy, want more!" I complain, pushing the plate towards him. He laughs, pushing it back and finishing his plate. "Here," Fang says gruffly, shoving some omelet towards me. "I'm not hungry, anyway," I grin, taking the omelet onto my plate. The others glance at him strangely, but he shrugs it off, watching as I eat the omelet quickly. Sighing in satisfaction, I lick my lips, taking in the salty, soft texture of my newly made food. "Thanks, Fang." Yawning, I stand, taking my plate and resting it in a pile next to the mini-fridge. Nudge smiles happily as she continues to chatter from where she sits on the couch, before turning around to look at me. "Oh, hey, Max! I'm so gonna get you ready for school tomorrow! We have to get you out of those clothes," she adds, raising a judging eyebrow at my loose dark blue sweat-shirt and tight jeans. "Why?" I say bluntly, knowing I wasn't going to like the answer. "Well... I mean, you would look so nice in some girly clothes! Oh, hey, you could borrow that new blue lacy shirt I brought! And-!" Fang jams his hand over Nudges' mouth before grabbing her empty plate and piling it over his, along with Iggy's. He dumps it on the pile next to mine, pausing in front of me. His dark eyes look down at mine, narrowed slightly, and he stays there for a second more than expected before turning around, waving a hand over his shoulder. "I'm going to sleep, night, Iggy, Nudge." he pauses. "Max,"

Frowning I turn away, looking at Iggy in question. Once he was out of ear sight, I cock an eyebrow in confusion. "Is it me, or was there something off about that?" Iggy shrugs, but the beginnings of a smirk twist onto his face. Turning to Nudge, she grins at me. "Come on, Max we godda sleep now, you do know we have to get up at six, and, oh, we have to introduce you to Angel, Gazzy and Ella! They are, like, so nice, and..." Six? That's a little early, but I can make that; usually I get up early to take a morning run away. Yeah, right. "SIX?!" I bark, shocked. "We get up at SIX?!" Nudge nods quickly, looking amused and more than a little scared. Iggy laughs as he easily turns off the television set, standing and preparing to take the plates to wash in the toilet sink. Groaning, I bang my head on the wall a little harder than I would have wanted. "Max,"Fang shouts from his room, as though he had seen exactly what I had done. "It doesn't matter how hard you hit your head, your brain won't come back," I laugh sarcastically, rolling my eyes and pushing off the wall towards Nudge and I's bedroom. The dark-haired girl follows me. "So, Max, about tomorrow-" I moan, shaking my head furiously. "Nudge, no! No, no no!" She laughs, flouncing past me. "We'll see, Max. We'll see."

The sun glimmered through between the blinds, stinging my eyes as I groan, lifting myself off the mattress and pushing the covers off my body. Jumping from the bed, I glance across at Nudge; in the early morning light, I can't help but smile as I look at her face; her mocha skin stands out in the honey-gold glow, her eyes close and small, content smile painted on her face. Her leg twitches like a dog's as she cuddles into the bed, her long, wavy black hair cradling her face cutely. Grinning, I slowly creep out of the bed, grabbing a change of clothes from my back pack (I told you it was useful) and slipping into the bathroom. Running the water, I stick my hand under; it was red hot, so I slip my clothes off and climb in.

After my shower (I won't bore you with the details, perverts,) I change into my new clothes – a black Falling in Reverse jumper and black baggy jeans. I leave my hair down, not bothering with crappy make-up. I took more time than usual brushing my hair, glowering in the mirror when it hit knots. Scowling, I creep out of the bedroom with the brush still wedge in my hair, pacing the hallway as I try to brush the knot from my hair. Hissing, I stop pacing, attempting to un-lodge the brush from my hair.

"You want help with that..?"

A deep, soft voice whispers into my ear, making me jump forward, almost ripping the hair from my head. "Fang!" I whisper yell, turning to face him, "Don't sneak up on me like that you twat!" he smiles softly, turning me round and taking the brush from my hand. "I can do it!" I bark, annoyed, trying to turn but he uses his left hand to hold me still, gently pulling the brush out of my hair. "Let me help," He requests, and with a huff I let him, folding my arms over my chest in annoyance. "Why would you want to do my _hair_?" I grumble, frowning. "I'm trying to help," he offers, slowly combing the brush through my hair with a gentleness I didn't think he could possess. "Hey, it's fine, I can just ask Nudge and-" He moves his hand from where it was searing a hole into my waist, putting it over my mouth instead. "Shh," he purrs, "Your beginning to sound like Nudge," I shut up after that, frowning. He moves his hand back to my waist, and I feel my cheeks burn up, causing me to look at the ground, embarrassed. "I can't believe your doing my hair," I hiss, not expecting him to answer. "But I'm good, right?" He replies coolly, continuing to run the brush through my hair, slowly making the knot disappear. "Yes," I admit, embarrassed once again. "I guess you really are gay," I can practically feel the smile burning into the back of my head, making me frown slightly. I'm so glad Nudge or Iggy aren't up right now; this would be so embarrassing, not just for me. When he doesn't reply, I add more seriously, "Where did you learn how to, um, do this?" I ask awkwardly, but the silence had, before, been comfortable. Flames burn at my waist, stretching up to my neck intensely just making my face heat up even more. It didn't hurt... It was, sort of, nice. I guess it was cos I'm embarrassed (and for good reason) "I help my little sister do her hair, sometimes, since my parents are always busy with the farm," he pauses, adding, "I'm adopted," My breathe catches as I think for a response. "We're all done," Fang says quickly, running the brush through my hair for the last time before turning me around to face him. A curtain of black hair covers one of his mesmerising, obsidian eyes, staring into mine. He lifts a hand, gently skimming my cheek with one hand – before freezing. His eyes go wider – granted, not as wide as mine, but wider – and he rips his hand away, averting his eyes quickly. "We should wake the others," He barks, pushing past me slightly. "Okay," I say, seeing as though he wouldn't be able to see me nod anyway. I hurry into Nudges' room, putting the brush on my bed. I stop, frowning slightly as I stroke my face where he had touched. I swear, I don't know him very well but that was a little more than weird. Closing my dark brown chocolate eyes, I pause, taking a deep breathe before heading over to Nudge's side. "Nudge, wake up,"

**Okay, that's all for today!**

**As always, please review! It would make my day/night/week ! I will give virtual cookies and, uh, bacon to anyone who reviews ! I would really like to have ten before I next update, hint hint, wink wink. Also, let me know all your opinions about the story so I know what to change, and send me a review if you want me to post a map of the campus on my profile picture. Any questions or criticism or ideas or ANYTHING feel free to ask etc. So, yeah, please review, I'm begging here ! Also, again, is the Fax coming to fast, or too slow ? (I plan for there to be loads more chapters of them just being friends yet, but you know..) So tell me what you think, even if it's horrid !**

**Shesh **

**:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE.**

**A/N:**

**Sorry for the late (cough five months cough) I was, uh, busy?**

**And almost nothing happens here, so... yeah. **

Nudge pulls my arm gently as we approach the Mess Hall, distracting me from my observations. We've just left the cabin and are heading to breakfast (At HALF SIX!) before starting our first lesson of the day – Riding. I can't say I'm not excited; it sounds pretty cool really, but it can't be that hard, can it ? You just... sit there. "Max?! Maaax!?" Nudge waves a hand in front of my face, her brow furrowed in amusement. "Sorry, Nudge, what we're you saying?" I ask as she releases my hand, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Iggy and Fang are still following us. They are, huddled together and quietly having their own conversation. "I was just thinking that maybe Ella and Angel will be here, and then, like, we can sit with them and talk and ooh I think you would really really really like them Max! And then there's Gazzy too he's so cute, but like little brother cute because, eew, I could never like Gazzy 'cos it would be weird you know and-" A delicate, toned hand slips over Nudges' mouth, cutting off her words before I could do so myself. "Hi, Nudge!" A chirpy, cheerful voice says, and I peer around the stunned girl to look at the speaker; she was tallish, but not as tall as me; she looked a little younger than Nudge with strait brown hair and bright hazel eyes. Her skin was slightly tanned, and she had a happy smile panted on her face."Hi there, you must be Max, right? Nudge was telling me all about you when she called me earlier. I'm Ella, it's nice to meet you," She smiles, removing her hand from Nudges' mouth and continuing to walk beside her. Iggy comes running over from behind us, a wolfish grin planted on his face. "Hey, Ella. Where's Gaz?" he asks, walking alongside us. Ella shrugs, her pretty brown hair falling from behind her ear before she pushes it back. Frowning, I glance down at my own dirty blonde hair, noticing how it hung naturally over my ears, covering them from view. "He and Angel headed to class early so they can try and bribe the teacher into letting them pick their own," she rolls here eyes, smiling fondly, "Then again, Angel can sneak her way out of – or into - anything," Iggy nods in agreement, blinking his un-seeing blue eyes. Nudges' eyes shine brightly, a huge grin spreading on her face, "I'm _so _there! Come on, Ells, let's go strait there, I wanna see if I can pick my own too! Forget food, I'll get something at lunch break!" Ella nods in agreement, casting me a spare glance, "It was nice to meet you, Max, I can't wait to talk to you, so we'll meet up again tonight, kay?" I nod bluntly, smiling. She seemed pretty nice; not the type of girl I'd usually talk to, but I'm not usually one for stereotypes. Nudge grabs her arm and drags her away to the horse field that we had passed, whilst Iggy, Fang and I continue towards the mess hall. "So, who's Angel? And... Gazzy?" I ask, tilting my head in confusion. "Angel's one of our friends – she's the youngest, and Gazzy's her older brother," Iggy explains. I nod, trying to get a hang of this. "So you can be any age at this school, then? How old are they?" I ask, blinking slightly. A group of three girls pass, laughing loudly and giggling to one another. "Angel's ten, Gazzy twelve and Ella a year younger than us," Iggy explains, smiling. "You can be from Ten to eighteen here, they just put is in the same classes anyway, but we have separate cabins. We share classes though." I nod, glancing at Fang who was absent from my side. "Fang?" I ask, glancing around as I walk.

"Boo," He purrs in my ear, smiling slightly. Jumping, I frown and swat at the back of his head. "I said not to do that!" I exclaim, rolling my eyes. We were nearly at the mess hall now, heading back to the car park and drop off where the mess hall sat to the left of the Farm House. He smirks, tilting his head and falling back. Iggy walks beside me, his bright blue eyes blinking often. "So, uh, where do we go after we've eaten?" I ask, glancing at Iggy. He pauses, looking shallowly to the right where the machinery is kept. "First we have riding, next to the stables." he replies, and I quickly pull out the map Nudge gave me earlier this morning. Circling our cabin in bright red marker, I shove the map back into my pocket and continue to walk towards the mess hall, my stomach snarling hungrily as I walk.

After eating – bacon, eggs and toast, yum – Iggy, Fang and I headed towards the horse stables as quickly as possible. It seems that Iggy, Fang, Nudge, Angel and Gazzy are the only people in their little group, because neither Fang nor Iggy said anything to anyone.

We arrived at the stables quickly; it was basically a block of wooden stalls absent of any animals; horses could be seen in the field beyond, and a crowd of around sixteen kids ranging from eighteen to eight surrounded a tall woman with dark, tanned skin and strait brown hair. She was wearing a shirt and protector, along with tight thick leggings specially for horse-riding that Fang claims are called jodhpurs. She waits as we all gather around her; Fang grasps my wrist gently, pulling Iggy and I towards a small blonde head in the group. Nudge soon came into sight; her dark brown curls bounced slightly as she talked to Ella, her hands clasped together in front of her. Beside them, too blonde children talked to one another quietly; a small blonde-haired girl, with a halo of corn yellow swirling around her head and bright, enthusiastic blue eyes. Her skin was pale, almost like Iggy's but not quite going that far; she was wearing light blue jodhpurs and a white frilly t-shirt. Next to her, a similar -looking boy leaned against one of the stables, his stormy grey eyes and spiked dark blonde hair flicked to the right as he looked over at the teacher with a bored expression. He looked familiar; upon closer examination I recognised him as the boy that had been with Iggy and Fang in the tractor the day before. Fang pulled us up next to the four, and Iggy immediately rushed over to the boy – Gazzy, I think – whilst Nudge and Ella turned to greet us. "Hi, Max! Guess what? We got here, and Kate was already surrounded by loads of people, and she said that we couldn't pick our own horses, which is a real shame but I know I'll get a good one anyway, and, oh! There are three new horses this year for us to try and I hope I get one! Of course, I've only been here for a year and I hardly know any of the horses anyway! Are you okay? I wonder what horse you'll get! I bet it's a good one, since your new and everything! And mph-!" Ella quickly covers her mouth, rolling her eyes and laughing slightly. I grin with her, turning to the teacher who had recently shouted for our attention. "Listen up, please!" she says in a high voice, clapping loudly to get our attention. Everyone immediately becomes silent, turning to look at her. She looked slightly foreign; her eyes we're slanted like a cat's, and she looked awfully fragile – in fact, she almost looked like an Asian Supermodel. I guess horse riding is pretty easy.

"Right, so most of you guys know the drill but I'll run you through it anyway. First of all, my name is Ms. Tan Wei Ying, but you can just call me Kate, or Ms. Wei Ying, and I'll be teaching you all about horses, horse taming and how to ride. For this lesson, I'll be introducing you to the horse you'll be working with for this year and the basics of how to ride. So, how about we begin?" Cheers erupted from a small group of guys off to my right; a tall blonde boy pumps his hand into the air, and a guy with a hoodie wolf whistles at the back. I sigh, shaking my head and instinctively turn to Fang; he stood watching the teacher with his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his jet black hoodie. She pulls a list from her back pocket, neatly folded on pristine white paper, and straitens it before her. "Right, so once I've read out your name pair up with the people in your cabin and head to the Grazing field after collecting a head-collar from the tack room. If your new, don't worry; Fang, Angel or Star can help you out." She points to a girl with light brown hair, freckles and candy blue eyes. "Okay," she says, coughing dramatically and looking down at the sheet. She begins to read out names of people in the class and numbers, which Fang explained we're on the horses rugs. She went alphabetically, so I had quite awhile to wait. After everyone had their numbers Fang, Nudge, Iggy and I headed out towards the fields. "What number did you get, Max?" Nudge asks excitedly, grinning at me. I think carefully, scowling. Having listened to everyone else's numbers, I had forgotten my own. "Eighteen," Fang says bluntly, sighing. I smile sheepishly at him and nod at Nudge. "Yeah. Number Eighteen." She rolls her eyes, smiling, and to my right Iggy shakes his strawberry-blond head.

Opening the big silver gate at the entrance to the field, we shut it tightly behind us after everyone else comes in and the others begin to disperse. Horses are dotted all over the huge field, some far off and others close by. The small group begins to walk down the middle of the field, glancing left and right to see if we can spot our numbers. We had gathered the head-collars at a small building next to the stables. As we walk, with Nudge jabbering on about what horse she might get, and Iggy whispering to Fang with smirk on his face, a small light gold pelted pony trots over to us. She's clad in a light blue rug, but from here I can't quite see the number. We all stop to pet her; I stroke down her muzzle at pat her neck as she shakes her head. "She's a lovely colour! " I exclaim, admiring her pelt. Although I don't like animals so much, I can understand why people are so fascinated by these beautiful creatures. She nudges me with her soft nose, and Fang smirks behind me. "It's called a palomino, Maxi." He says, lowering hi head to my ear. I smack him around the back of the head gently, shocked slightly the softness of his jet black hair. I pull my hand back quickly, blushing slightly but ignoring the sensation, turning to the horse. Nudge glances around the side of the pony, looking at her number. As the pony turns slightly, I can't help but be disappointed; the number clearly read twelve, not nine. Huffing, I glance at the others. Iggy was gently stroking the pony, who was small, barely reaching his neck. "Number 12, 13hh." Fang says to Iggy, describing the horse briefly in his ear. Iggy nods, smiling, and Nudge glances around frantically. A small, brown haired girl runs over; she stumbles slightly, re-arranging the Harry Potter glasses that hang on the end of her nose. "Is this one yours? I shout, looking over at the girl. She grins, nodding quickly and running her hand down to the horses whither (yes, I know that word.)

After the girl – JJ, she said her name was, had successfully put on the head-collar and headed off to her own group, we continued down the field. Nudge pointed out an electric wire halving the field into two sections. "Behind there are the geldings – the male horses." Nudge says, standing still and waving her hand wildly. I nod, glancing at the wire. "Once we're done looking in here, we can search in there in case our horses are male." Iggy nods dumbly, a smile painted on his face, and adds, "The males are numbers sixteen and above. Anything below is female." Fang grunts, shaking his head quickly and thinking. "Nudge and I both have mare's, according to the numbers, and you and Iggy have geldings." I glance around, looking at the field of horses; Nudge informs me that her and Fang's numbers were fifteen and three. We head randomly over to the nearest horse, a stubby 'bay' surrounded by three other mares. Nudge strokes her muzzle whilst we look at the others, who are significantly taller than the short pony. One, a 14 hand high strawberry roan mare stands out; inspecting her, Nudge is delighted to find the number three on her side. Pulling a head-collar onto the horse, she leads her around the field as we look for the other horses.

After searching the grazing paddock and finding Fang's horse – a huge ghost white mare with dark eyes and a short coat – we also spot Iggy's gelding in the other field. He was tall and stocky – not as big as Fang's horse but wider and more muscular, with a buckskin pelt and a black mane.

Of course, as we were searching for my horse, I didn't expect to be trampled to the ground. At least, not on my first lesson.

**So, there you have it, the laziest chapter I have ever written. Literally, again, nothing happened in this chapter but I hate skipping parts so there we go. Sorry. **

**Also, I would really appreciate ideas for the names of all the horses; I would prefer if they were from characters in the series, like Brandon or Beth or some other non-important side character, that has at least a slightly appropriate name. **

**As usual, please review and hang in there, something might actually happen next chapter, if we're lucky, and if we actually get next chapter that is!**

**Thanks,**

**Shesh. **


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

**AN: Hi, thanks for all the nice reviews, they make me happy :) please, please, please review again even if you have already on past chapters, I really don't care if you just copy and paste your last review. Also, thanks to those who favourite / followed. This is uploaded pretty hastily, so sorry for that! **

**DICLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE.**

Everything was going fine, for the first five minutes, until there was a loud gun-shot in the distance – probably from a hunting class somewhere around the school. This was followed by a thundering of hooves slamming against the grass; a bright russet orange blur suddenly sped towards us, tossing it's mane and frothing at the mouth. It slams strait into us, sending the four of us flying in ever direction. Iggy drops his horses lead-ropes, letting him get out of the way on their own. Fang grabbed my wrist and shoved Iggy and I out of the way; Nudge, having stood next to Iggy, was pushed to the side also.

My head slammed against the dirt, the breath knocked from my stomach as Fang's arm slammed into me. I groan, pulling in a breath as the noise passes and pushing myself up. Nudge and Iggy stare after the horse a couple of meter's away from me; dark muddy hoof prints scratched into the dirt from where the gelding had ran past. Blinking, I watch in shock as the horse – no, pony – slows to a stop, skidding in the water-logged grass. He stops, snorting quietly before shaking his mane and lowering his head to tear at the grass as though nothing had happened. I scoff incredulously, shaking myself and staggering as I stood up.

I quickly wipe down my clothes, turning to the others.

"Nudge? Iggy? You guy's okay?" I ask, looking over to them.

"I'm good," Iggy groans, lifting himself gently and leaning down to help Nudge up.

"I'm good, too," Fang grunts, climbing up from where he was on the ground.

"Thanks for asking, by the way." I roll my eyes and look at the pony; he was a bit bigger than the palomino, with a white diamond on his forelock and four white socks. The rest of him was just a plain, varying dark ginger; he snorts ignorantly and swishes his tail, turning slightly to tear up another mouthful.

"Hey, Max," says Fang from behind me; I turn to see him smirking, leaning against Iggy's horse as he picks it's lead-rope from the ground.

"What," I groan, tipping back my head.

"I think I've found your horse," he grins wolfishly and nods at the young pony; I turn, and, sure enough in big white writing the letters '18' are spray painted onto the horses' coat. I let out a groan, letting my hand head and my feet drag as I head towards the pony. He looks up, dark brown eyes shinning as he watches me. I stride over confidently watching the horse as he watches me. I didn't notice the small crowd of people by the gate, watching curiously with the teacher as they waited impatiently for me to get my horse and join them.

"You guys can head on up. I'll catch you soon, okay?" I say, turning to Nudge and Iggy. They nod and turn to go, Fang going with them.

"Woah woah woah, Fangles, where'd you think you're going?" I exclaim, wiggling my finger at him.

"Get you're arse back here, mister! Your meant to help the newbies out." He smirks, rolling his dark ebony eyes.

"I was going to help anyway," He grunts, coming to join me. I huff, staring at the horse grumpily. It wasn't that I didn't think I could handle it – it's just, I've never even gone close to a horse before until today. I don't have any idea how to deal with these things.

"What's wrong, Maxi-pad?" he taunts, coming up behind me. "Too scared of the ikkle pony?" I scowl, and had we not been in the middle of a half-empty field of horses, I would have punched him. Charging over to the horse, I adjust my grip on the tough fabric of the head-collar, pulling at several loose threads. The chestnut coloured pony lifts his muscular neck, blinking his huge brown eyes at me as he hears me come closer. He snorts, dropping his head once more as I reach his side. I quickly run my hand across his pelt, patting his stomach gently.

"Hey, boy," I coo, smiling as he lifts his head to nuzzle my shoulder gently. I stroke his neck, tangling my hand into his mane for a second. Lifting the head-collar, I pull it over his nose and onto his heavy scull. "Your not so bad after all," I say, fixing my eyes with his. He snorts gently, tugging his head away and putting pressure on the lead rope. Folding the end into the palm of my hand, just the way Fang had shown me, I pull gently to indicate that he needed to start walking, he responds immediately, walking along beside me. I turn to Fang and stick out my tongue; he rolls his eyes once again and walks over. I take my time to inspect the horse as we walk; he's not as tall as any of the other horses', especially not Iggy's or Fang's. I personally wanted some big, fast horse; instead, I got a small, stubby ginger pony, but I could deal with that. It's just for a couple of lessons a week, right?

The horse grunts as he walks, his head low to the ground and his ears back. He grunts, swishing his tail as we arrive at the gate. Fang swings it open; inside, everyone had gone beck to the main block of the stables and tied up their horses on one of the posts, including Nudge and Iggy; Fang, who had to leave his horse at the gate, quickly grabbed her red lead-rope and tied it up next to mine, running his hand across her flank. I glance at the dark ginger pony; he grunts, not meeting my eyes with his nose centimetres from the ground. Scowling, I turn back to the teacher.

"Alright, so now we've all got the horses I would usually like for you to get to know them before you ride, but we don't have time so I'm going to ask you to learn how to mount before we do this. We will be learning to ride in this lesson, but since the horse will be completely under your control I want you to take control of their exercising and feeding every day, even when there isn't a lesson. These horses are yours now, and I expect you to learn how to look after them for the entire year. I'll be checking on them every lesson."

She pauses, scratching her neck and blinking her long black eyelashes. Fang grunts, pulling the mare's head up to inspect her; he smiles lightly, stroking her soft, almost pink muzzle. I turn away quickly, feeling the heat rise to my face as I take a glance at Fang's dark obsidian eyes.

"Alright, first we have to tack the horses; I could have done this before hand but it prevents the experience. Go find the tack and then ask me, Fang, Angel or Star." She says. A couple of girls approach Fang, asking him where to get the tack from; almost reluctantly he takes them towards the room where we fetched the head-collars, leaving Iggy, Nudge and I to follow behind. There were three girls; one with bright, red hair and snake green eyes; the other with a fake shade of badly-died 'platinum' blonde. I guess even the country has their stereo-types. Huffing, I scowl and pat the pony's rump before following, Nudge and Iggy in tow.

After fetching the tack and correctly putting it on the horses, I realise that I haven't even learnt the horses' name yet, never mind his age or any other information. I glance over at the others; Iggy is sitting, unsure on the back of his long-legged ride. Next to him is Nudge, patting the mare's neck from her back and cooing childishly at her, declaring how beautiful she was and how pretty her colouring is. Rolling my eyes with a small smile on my face, I put my hands on the gelding's rump and swing my leg over onto his back. Sitting firmly in the saddle, I grab the reins as his neck shoots up, ears pricked high. I sooth him by stroking his ginger neck, fondling his soft ears. He lifts his head slightly higher, grunting and breathing hard through his nose.

"Alright," Kate calls out, clapping her hands once again.

"I want you all to kick your horses on and form an orderly line at the school door..." She pauses, looking down and shuffling note's on her clip-board.

"Angel first, followed by Gazzy. I then want... Nudge, Iggy, Fang, Max, Ella..." her voice trails off as she lists more names, and I slowly attempt to move the horse away from the stables towards Fang's horse. He doesn't budge a single step, standing solid with his legs parted. I kick him again, scowling. "Forward!" I order waiting. He grunts, not moving a single step. I groan.

"Forward! Forward, forward, forward!" He squares his shoulders, making a noise that could only relate to a snore. Scowling, I kick again, waiting for him to go forward. Instead, he scratches the dirt with one foot, lifting his shoulders. "No. I said, _forward!_" kicking him again, I can't help but wonder what I'm doing wrong. He seemed so nice earlier. Ha.

"I don't think that's what your meant to do, Max." Fang says bluntly, a tiny smile on his face as he watches me fail, letting others take his place in the line as he spins his own horse perfectly so that it was facing me.

"This one doesn't work!" I exclaim, pointing glumly at his neck. Fang smirks, rolling his eyes and moving his horse awkwardly closer to mine, so that their sides brush. Mine didn't look so happy about that; his ears flicked back and his nose began to flare more. I kick him forward again, wanting him to move.

"Ma-" he's cut off as the horse rears into the air, making me grab his mane, scrabbling for a grasp on his neck as I hang on his back. Fang's hand shoots out, holding my back up as his horse scatters to the left, holding the reins with one hand as she jitters on the spot. I hang on tight, breathing heavy as he lunges back down, hooves clattering on the ground before he swings back up again. I guess some people are just unlucky.

**Alright, so again nothing really happened in this chapter. I want to keep them all the same length round about, so the lesson hasn't even started here unfortunately. Maybe next chapter, hopefully. If your following then please review as well, I like to talk and get advice from my readers.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Shesh**


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